How I Think I'm Going to Survive My New Work-From-Home Job
This week I started a new full-time, 40-hour-a-week work-from-home job.
And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaking out...at least a little.
I've worked from home before, but my last job was a bit of an odd situation. At first, it was a scramble just to keep up with the workload. Then, over time, it slowly trickled down until there was almost nothing to do. Needless to say, I've had a lot of free time lately.
This new job is going to be different, and honestly, I'm excited for it. But I'm also trying to figure out how to balance working from home without accidentally turning into a hermit who only leaves the house to let the dogs out.
I get two 15-minute breaks and at least a 30-minute lunch every day, and I really want to make the most of them.
From talking to other remote workers, it sounds like a lot of people struggle to actually take their breaks. You tell yourself you'll just finish one more email...and suddenly it's lunchtime. I've definitely been guilty of that before, so I'm hoping to be more intentional this time around.
Now let me throw another wrench into the plan...
I'm also a powerlifter and coach every morning at two different gyms.
I'm actually hoping coaching helps with the social side of working from home. I get to start my day around people before heading home to work. The bigger question I'm trying to answer is when to fit my own training in. Morning lifting sounds appealing, but I also don't want my entire world to become two places: the gym and my office.
So here's my game plan...at least in theory.
My 15-Minute Break Ideas
Instead of scrolling my phone or staying glued to my computer, I'd love to use those breaks to actually recharge.
Work on a house or art project. (In my head I might even clean...but let's be honest, we'll see how that goes.)
Read a few pages of a book. Although I'm not sure more reading is exactly giving my eyes a break.
Sit outside in the hammock or by the dog pool.
Take the dogs for a quick walk.
Squeeze in a short workout—a Tabata, a Peloton ride, or a kettlebell circuit.
Lunch Break Goals
I refuse to become a sad desk-lunch person.
Some ideas:
Make something that actually sounds delicious instead of reheating leftovers for the fifth day in a row.
Take a longer walk before lunch.
Hop on my bike and ride around the neighborhood.
My favorite idea: find other people nearby who work from home and take lunch breaks together.
That one might be ambitious, but it sounds pretty great.
Evenings
These have to stay fairly low-key because my alarm goes off way too early for coaching.
Some ideas:
Yoga in the park (while it's still summer).
Bike to grab dinner or ice cream.
Schedule regular date nights. My boyfriend is more of a homebody—and he actually leaves the house all day for work—so maybe friend date nights are the answer.
Find local events like book clubs, trivia nights, paint-and-sips, or anything that gets me out of the house.
That's the plan...for now.
We'll see how it actually goes once I get in the groove.
If you work from home, I'd love to hear your best advice. How do you make sure you actually take your breaks? What keeps you from feeling isolated? And what little routines have made the biggest difference for you?
Because if you've figured out the secret, I'm all ears.
